The Truth About Social Media Marketing

Majority of online marketers thought that social media marketing is new, free, and easy, that it will only take days to set it up and deliver results. What they didn’t know is this marketing concept has been present since time immemorial. Additionally, it takes time, costs money, and requires hard work.

Breaking the Social Media Marketing Myths

Brands and businesses that are new with social media marketing feel that what they’re doing is something new. Thus, they would usually jump into the water without devising any plans.

What they didn’t know is that the concept of social media marketing has been present even before Internet was invented. When visiting a restaurant, for example, there’s a high possibility that your friend pointed you to it. Then you will recommend it to your other friends, and those who’ll try and visit it will inform their friends about the restaurant. In the end, you and your friends were able to spread the word about it.

Another misconception that most online marketers encounter is that social media is a tool to promote a brand. Although that could be the case, this platform is also used to target a business’ potential market and search for their ambassadors.

Using Social Media to Find Your Target Audience

The most common mistake of online marketers when it comes to social media marketing is creating an account because they feel like it. They forget to consider whether they can reach majority of their target market using a particular platform. That’s why you should always think and create a plan first before jumping into any marketing campaign.

Consider who your target audience will be, and whether your primary social media platform can help you tap a big part of that market. Are they on Twitter or Facebook? Maybe you should also check out Google+, LinkedIn, or Pinterest.

In addition, you have to make sure that you are not looking at your target market one dimensionally. It is made up of your potential customers and possible brand ambassadors, giving you plenty of rooms to take advantage of. Use social media wisely so that you can promote your brand to your target customers, and encourage your ambassadors to spread the word for you.

Thus, there’s no need to gather all the fans that you can get unless you think that they are qualified. Otherwise, your efforts will be put to waste. The reason it’s called “social” is because your goal is to create and establish your online presence in order to create brand awareness on the World Wide Web.

Aki Libo-on is a Philippine-based Web Content Writer for Alpha Brand Media and a member of Search Engine Journal's editorial team. She's also the author of "How to Start a Blog (And Earn from It!)"—a beginner’s guide to blogging published by Bookware Publishing.